Funk Legend Jimmy Castor Dead At 64

Funk/disco great Jimmy “The Everything Man” Castor passed away on Monday from unknown causes in Las Vegas, according to reports.

Castor, a respected saxophonist, was the leader of the seminal funk/disco band the Jimmy Castor Bunch. The group was behind funk classics like the 1972 smash, "Troglodyte (Cave Man).”

Though the group’s popularity faded at the end of the disco era, Castor’s music lived on through hip hop as his song "It's Just Begun" became a staple break of the '70s and '80s b-boy break dancing scene. The song served as the back up music for the iconic b-boy collective the Rock Steady Crew in the 1983 film Flashdance.

Eric B. and Rakim, the Ultramagnetic MCs, N.W.A., and Kanye West were among the hip hop names to sample Castor’s tunes over the years.

Before making the switch to funk/disco Castor did a brief stint as Frankie Lymon’s replacement in the legendary doo-wop group The Teenagers.

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